Andrea Mann
Writer of sentences like this one. Also, occasionally, longer ones. But not this time.

"This is my ninth time hosting the Oscars," Billy Crystal declared as he opened the 84th Academy Awards. But could it be his last?

Unfortunately for Crystal, most of the reviews were lukewarm. The Washington Post noted that the 63-year-old host "was full of perfectly palatable jokes during the show, the kind you smirk at more than actually laugh" - while the Hollywood Reporter remarked that "the colossal hosting disaster from last year is now forgotten by the safe, unfunny, retro-disaster that was Crystal making jokes that he laughed at repeatedly and overseeing an Oscars telecast that was as poorly paced as any in recent memory."

But the lacklustre reviews are nothing compared to the flack that Crystal and the organisers are facing after he performed in blackface. In the opening montage, spoofing the films nominated for Best Picture, Crystal made an appearance as Sammy Davis Jr - in full black makeup - during his parody of Midnight In Paris. Hundreds of people took to Twitter to complain about it - along with a joke of Crystal's later in the ceremony, after Octavia Spencer won the Best Supporting Actress award.

"After I saw The Help I just wanted to hug the first black woman I saw," he said. "Which from Beverly Hills is about a 45-minute drive."

Do you agree that Crystal went too far? Or was it harmless fun? Leave a comment below. And in the meantime, watch Crystal's opening montage in full - and below that, see the Oscars' night biggest comedy stars.

Comedy stars at the Oscars:

Comedy stars at the Oscars 2012

Comedy stars at the Oscars 2012

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HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 26: The stars of 'Bridesmaids' on stage during the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)